The last paragraph of Paul Krugman's Opinion in the NYT:

[Cal33]

" Just to be clear, progressives would be foolish to sit out this election: Mr. Obama may not be the
politician of their dreams, but his enemies are definitely the stuff of their nightmares. But Mr. Obama
has a responsibility, too. He can?t expect strong support from people his administration keeps ignoring and insulting. "

I think it's time for Obama to make some changes in his cabinet, and also among his advisers.
I also wonder if he is capable at all of understanding that bi-partisanship with Neocons
simply can never happen. If bi-partisanship has become an obsession with him, Obama will not
be able to change either. A real nice "How do you do?"

[Warpy]

1. Obama hasn't done anything to make it all worse

although he's kept some of the bad stuff the same. He's exceeded my expectations in that he's managed to make a few things a little better, at least for some of us.

I will have no problem getting out to vote. Keeping Republicans out of my government is going to be my priority for the rest of my life.

[Cal33]

16. Ln his first 6 months Obama has had some 90 accomplishments,

which is more than FDR and LBJ had achieved in the same time span. The MSM also tended
mostly to avoid making mention of the accomplishments. After all, 90% of the MSM IS
Republican-owned. It's their job to make Obama look as badly as possible. They rarely
say anything about the positives and blow up the negatives as far as Obama is concerned.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. That's an excellent paragraph

Very well put.

[SteveM]

3. Agree. Unless someone better runs against Obama, I'll vote for him...

but can't see myself doing much else, given his record. What little time & money I have have been/are going to causes which have a clearer track record of success.

[Cal33]

8. He does have a powerful way of expressing himself, doesn't he?

[DavidDvorkin]

9. It summarizes my own feelings perfectly

Which obviously makes it excellent! :)

[Greyhound]

4. K&R

[DCBob]

5. progressives are ignoring that part..

cant handle the pragmatism.

[Fumesucker]

10. You mean this part, right?

" But Mr. Obama has a responsibility, too. He can't expect strong support from people his administration keeps ignoring and insulting."

[DCBob]

11. Oh they love that part for sure..

probably have it tatooed on their asses.

[Fumesucker]

13. Hmm.. I guess we'd know if Rahm had it tattooed on his ass by now..

Given his penchant for naked confrontations in the showers.

[depakid]

18. What many of us can't handle is the wilfull FAILURE to even try- and worse

the wilful failure to return accountability under the rule of law to rep-Bush norms. No excuse for that at all. Especially for a former adjunct professor of constitutional law.

Moreover, as far as I'm concerned anyone who supports that is utterly lacking in independent principles.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

6. What's interesting is Krugman's statement that Obama's admin "ignores and insults" progressives

At least it is official. Sort of a relief. It's like when you suspect that your mother-in-law doesn't like you but you're not sure and then your husband's cousin let's it out of the bag -"Oh no, she can't stand you". Better to know than to not know.

[tex-wyo-dem]

7. I agree with Krugman...Obama may a big disappointment to many of us, but...

He is certainly a hell of a lot better than the alternative.

[Cal33]

12. Many of us feel the same way.

[Jakes Progress]

14. Pretty good catch, that catch 22.

Obama thinks progressives are foolish and pointless. He and his buddies insult progressives for their passion and morality, but . . .

Progressives have no choice but to vote for Obama, but . . .

Voting for Obama will never only get them more "bipartisan cooperation" with the republicans and never achieve a progressive agenda, but . . .

Progressives need to fear the really, really, really bad guys and vote for the merely awful, but . . .



Hey. How do we catch the raft with Yossarian.

[Cal33]

15. I don't know what Obama thinks about the progressives. All

your oher "buts" seem to be rather accurate, the way things actually seem to be.
I can't make any political sense out of this situation either, except that voting
for Obama may be bad, but voting for the Neocons would be infinitely worse.
There is no comparison. This seems to be the way things actually are.

[donheld]

17. It pains me that The Obama administration ignores Krugman

Much to their peril IMHO

[Cal33]

19. I think Obama should throw out Geithner and crew, and also

some of his right-leaning advisers as well. Before taking office, Obama did
say that he'd want to hear the opinions of boths sides, and then make up
his own mind. In short, he wanted to be a middle-of-the-roader.

He doesn't see that in the atmosphere of today, the above isn't working. Or
he is listening more to the right than to the left advisers. And time is
getting short.